Week 8- Miracles!

     This week has been a week of miracles! We have really been trying to focus on trusting in God and His timing and being obedient so that we can be where we need to be when we need to be there, and so that we can be ready to follow spiritual promptings that we will receive. It has been amazing to see how Heavenly Father has guided us as we have done this. We have met some really amazing people who have been anxious to hear more of our message. I believe that the people here in Brasov are so ready for the gospel.
     We have talked this week a lot about how they are looking for the truth but know not where to find it. We have the truth! We know how it can bless and change their lives! We know the happiness that it can bring them! It has been amazing to discuss with all of God's children here in Brasov about how He loves them and has a plan for them an that they have a purpose here on earth. I love seeing the light spark in them as their spirits recognize the truth. We had an amazing experience last night as we were walking home we weren't contacting or looking for anyone to talk to but my companion saw a girl and felt like we should talk to her. We started talking about the Book of Mormon and how it has changed our lives. She took the Book and started flipping through the pages. She was very interested and agreed to meet with us! I know that Heavenly Father guided us to her and that He loves her!
     We have had an awesome week with members. We visited a less active family in the branch, the Eperjesi's, and invited them to come to church.We spent time trying to get to know all the members and it has been really cool. I haven't been able to get to know them as much as I would like because of the language but I have been doing my best and have felt God help me so much! While we were meeting with the Eperjesi's I felt God bless me with the Gift of Tongues. I was able to understand almost everything and share thoughts and encourage them and really feel part of the discussion. It was such a miracle!
     The most meaningful member work though that I think we were able to do this week was with Teo and Cristina. They are the Young Women here in Brasov and they are so amazing! We made vision boards with them and encouraged them to set goals so they could become the people they wanted to be. They set goals like "get married in the temple" and "go on a mission" and "help other people when they are sad" as we were talking to them I just realized how much good they will do in the world and how much they have already done. They are a strength to our branch!

     We have also been talking to Alexandra a lot this week. (she's the girl we met on the bus) We had some really awesome experiences with her! This week we were talking about how it is sad that we can't be with our investigators all the time and help them feel the spirit always because after we leave how can they have that witness that our message is true and help them want to learn more. Right after we had been saying this specifically about Alexandra, she called us! She wanted to know how we were and we got to invite her to a games night we were having at the church! While we were talking to her she said "I am getting this warm fuzzy feeling" I knew when she said that that even though we can't be there with them always that God is and that He will help them to feel the spirit and to know the truth! I know that this is His work and that He is guiding every aspect of it! I am so blessed to have a part in it!

​​Picture 1: Today on the streets of Brasov

Picture 2: Centru is so beautiful

Picture 3: A cool church we got to visit!

Picture 4: Us and our beautiful Young Women!

Week 7- Brasov, Romania !!!!!!

Ahhhhh I'm here in Romania!! Isn't it crazy!? I love love love love it here and I love being a missionary. The work is amazing and I just feel so blessed to be here. Since I last emailed a lot has happened (obviously haha) We left the MTC in the middle of the night and got to the airport, from Saltlake we went to Chicago and then Amsterdam and finally from Amsterdam to Bucharest! When we first got there I was a zombie. I didn't know what was going on and I was soo tired. Our first stop was a hill in Bucharest called Chismaju. There we sent off the departing missionaries and were welcomed as the new missionaries into the mission. We read the mission dedicatory prayer and talked about the work in Romania and all that Heavenly Father has trusted us with. It was really awesome to feel the spirit of the mission and the work here. I felt how important the gospel is for the people of Romania. While we were in Bucharest we also got assigned to our trainers and our areas. My trainer is Sora Ebert! She is so awesome and such an obedient and bold missionary. Already I have learned from her to talk to everyone and not to let fear get in the way! We got assigned to labor in Brasov!

 I love it here!! The people are amazing and the city is beautiful! We are both new missionaries here and we have been trying to figure our way around but I already love it. We have been really focusing on talking to everyone which has been pretty scary because I don't really know much of the language! But I have been really relying on my faith in God and trusting in the spiritual promptings I have received and I have felt so blessed! I felt prompted so I started a conversation with a sweet girl on the bus several days ago and she was really interested in our message! We set up a lesson and were able to meet with her at the church on Saturday. She had a lot of questions and the spirit was there so strong! I loved being able to see the ways that God had prepared her and us so that we could teach her about how His true church is here on earth and how she can find that to be true for herself! I have had a lot of other really awesome experiences like that am I just love being part of the work so I can really just see up close how much God really does love each of His children! Almost without exception every person I talk to is just so kind and loving. The people here are really just so kind. They are so ready for this gospel!!

 Church this week was also very amazing! At church I realized just how little Romanian I really know haha. When members would talk to me directly I could get the gist of what they were saying and sort of respond but when talking in a big group I can't exactly follow hahah but I'm trying to get better. They all call me boboaca which means duckling. (they just use it to mean a new missionary haha) Whenever they say something I don't understand they say "Oh little duckling" it's actually really cute haha. I feel very loved in the branch already. I got assigned to be the branch pianist like 5 minutes before church started and I was a little nervous and the branch President's wife said "Don't feel nervous. It's just us. It's just your family." It was really sweet and did make me feel a little better. I also had the opportunity to bear my testimony in church which was really awesome too! 

Overall I have just loved it so much here and learned a ton! I am so happy to be here! Everyday I just get so excited. To me every door we knock on is a person waiting and searching for the truth and knowledge we have and Heavenly Father has picked me to be the messenger for the people in Brasov. I am so so grateful to be a missionary!

Picture 1- On our way!

Picture 2- Me and my companion in our new apartment

Picture 3- Our bus-stop

Picture 4- Our church building

Picture 5- In the Centru today

She Made It!

Dear all:

This is the photo taken at the airport with President and Sora Hettinger, along with the AP's and Office Elders.

Comaionships and city they are serving in:

Sora Baldwin and Sora Quigley are serving in Mihai Bravu, Romania

Sora Madsen and Sora Steele are serving in Ploiesti, Romania

Sora James and Sora Ebert are serving in Brasov, Romania

Sora Muhlestein and Sora Pitcher are serving in Oradea, Romania

Sora Crompton and Sora Lehr are serving in Chisinau, Moldova 

Enjoy the photo!

Sora DeSpain

She is on her way!

A wonderful person took this picture for us in Chicago! Then she called! We got to hear her sweet voice! She is so excited and so happy! Romania and Moldova are so lucky! ❤️🇷🇴🇲🇩✈️ #lovemymissionary #sorajames

Week 6- Goodbye MTC

Ahhhhh!! I am leaving on Monday to go to Romania and Moldova!! I can't believe it is already here! I got my travel plans a couple of days ago and I am totally freaking out! I leave for the airport at 3:50 am on Monday. We will fly to Chicago and then to Amsterdam and end up in Romania Jan 16 at 1:00 pm by the time there. I am incredibly excited!

This week I tried to make the most of everything. As you all know by now, I love my companions and the everything about my life here at the MTC. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to everything. This week I have really focused on improving my language practice and really striving to understand the grammar. I have felt God bless me so so much as I have tried to work really hard. The other thing that I have focused on this week is trying to become as Jesus Christ and have "His countenance engraven on my image" I know that I represent Jesus Christ to the people that I will teach and when they look at me I want them to see Him. I have been studying the character of Christ and really been focusing on emulating Him in all ways. He is the perfect example and the perfect teacher and I want more than anything to help these people to know Him.

This Tuesday David A. Bednar came and spoke to us and it was amazing! Being in the presence of an apostle is truly a life changing experience. Another thing that happened this week was we were able to watch the funeral of President Thomas S. Monson. I loved being able to hear the stories of his life and see how he was able to reach out and touch individuals and answer prayers as he followed the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I want to be able to do the same on my mission. I too hope that the Lord knows that if He has an errand He needs to be run that Sora James will be there to do it. 

Other than that this week was just a very normal very good week. We had some fun crazy times and learned some awesome stuff (as usual hahah). I really love being a missionary and I am so grateful everyday that God trusts me to do His work and help His children. 

Pictures this week:

Picture 1: We got our flight plans!!

Picture 2: We made a video message about missionary work for a Romanian speaker.

Picture 3: Face masks (thanks mom *kisses*)

Picture 4: Me and my companion on the way home from the temple.

Picture 5: We got to hang up our mission flags as a celebration of our departure.

Week 5- New years!

This week was so awesome! I had so much fun with my companions as we celebrated the new year! I have also been able to learn a lot this week. I expected that I would learn Romanian (obviously) and learn how to work hard being here at MTC, but I have also learned and grown in many more ways that I didn't really think of. I have learned a lot about the gospel and about my Heavenly Father. I have really come to know that He loves us and wants to bless us if we will just ask Him. He will always give us the answers that we need in the way we need them. I have been able to receive so many answers to sincere prayers that I have offered. I have also come to know myself better. I have become very aware of my weaknesses and ways that I need to rely on God. I have been able to start setting goals to change and improve myself. It's really cool to see Ether 12:27 in action. As I have identified my weakness I have also been able to see my strengths and gifts God has given me and how I can use the gifts I have to further God's work!

This week really has just been awesome overall! I love it here at the MTC and I'm actually pretty sad to be leaving in a week. I have really come to love the atmosphere here and the day to day things that I do. But at the same time I can't wait to leave and go to Romania! I feel like I already love the people so much. This week we had the opportunity to FaceTime a member in Romania and the experience changed my life. She didn't speak any English so it was kind of scary hahah! But as we talked to her I started understanding what she was saying and I felt of her sweet spirit. She told of the story of her conversion and I was really touched by it. By the end she was telling us how much love she had for us and blowing us kisses. I felt such overwhelming love for her and for Romania while we were teaching her. It was incredible!

New Years Eve this week was a ton of fun! We were able to hear from Bonnie L. Oscarson that evening and she spoke about what we could do to have the Holy Ghost with us as we serve. Her talk made me feel so excited to get out into the field and get to work. That night we celebrated by eating chips and salsa in fancy plastic cups and talking about our best 2017 memories. We went to bed at 10:30 but then set our alarm for 11:55. At the stroke of midnight we grabbed our Romanian and Moldovan flags and ran and cheered (very quietly) around the floor of our residence hall. It was so funny and a memorable way to start the new year hahah!! 

Overall, everything is just really awesome and I love life as a missionary! I'm so grateful for all of you and your love and prayers. I know that I have been so blessed because of them. I love you all and I hope this was a perfect week!

Picture 1: Us all eating our chips and salsa

Picture 2: Happy new year!

Picture 3: ​​Us at midnight hahah!

Picture 1: ​​Me and my cute Sora Madsen

Picture 2:​​ My companions and I in our mission shirts on New Years

Picture 3: The temple this week